When the Olympics get underway next weekend, we can be sure of one thing. Figure skating will get the most coverage. If the past is any indication, we’ll see only limited skiing — at least alpine racing. I do expect one new ski event to get plenty of coverage. Unlike the alpine racing, where it’s one skier at a time against the clock, Ski Cross will have four skiers starting at once and fighting for position on the course.

It’s something like stock car racing in its appeal. I’m not saying auto racing fans hope for wrecks, but the possibility and anticipation sure adds to the excitement. It’s also the reason the TV networks like the downhill more than the slower races. The anticipation of someone crashing at 80 mph is a lot more exciting than a slalom racer straddling a gate at 25 mph.

Those who were at Sunday River for last season’s Snowboard Cross World Cup will understand the appeal of Ski Cross. It’s the same format but on skis, and unlike the snowboarders, the skiers will have poles. As they leave the start, the racers will be poling like crazy to gain an edge on the guys on either side. Getting to the first turn in the lead can win the heat. The course will be a series of jumps and banked turns, running 45 seconds to over a minute. Those in the final heat will have to run the course four times — a grueling day.

The event starts with individual speed runs. The 32 fastest after the two speed runs will compete in eight heats, with the top two in each heat advancing through heat eliminations until the final heat, a one run final.

When I started on this, the top U.S. skiers were a pair of former U.S. Ski Team downhillers. For some reason, the IOC considers Ski Cross part of the freestyle events. Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett are hardly freestylers. Rahlves was one of our most successful speed event skiers, winning a dozen SG and DH World Cup races, seven national titles and a Super-G World Championship. We learned anew just how dangerous this event is last weekend when both of our top skiers suffered injuries. Puckett re-injured the shoulder he had operated on early in January for a separation, but does expect to be ready for the games. Rahlves dislocated his hip and is questionable for the games. In the Snowboard version, Seth Wescott finished second — a good tune-up for defending his Gold Medal in Snowboard Cross won in Turin, Italy in 2006.

Snowboard Cross and Ski Cross will be big on TV at the Vancouver games and will provide plenty of excitement.

In addition to Wescott, CVA will be watching other alumni members like Emily Cook from Belmont, Mass. Bode Miller will compete in alpine skiing, trying to finally grab an Olympic Gold Medal. Miller has won more World Cups than any U.S skier, four World Championship gold medals, and a bunch of national titles, but two silver medals in the Salt Lake games are his best Olympic results. He hopes to add Olympic gold to that collection.

One current CVA student will be at Whistler, but not representing the U.S. Dimitri Gedevanishvili is a native of Georgia, the former republic of the Soviet Union. The 17 year old will be skiing for his country in downhill and Super-G. The CVA junior competed in the European Junior Olympics last year in Poland and this year will march in the opening ceremonies, possibly carrying his country’s flag, giving CVA students and faculty one more skier to root for.

Looking back

Last Saturday afternoon, I was asked to sign my Sunday River book at the Bethel Historical Society. I didn’t realize they had added a thorough display of skiing in the Bethel area. The members and a lot of visitors kept me busy with questions for three hours, and I renewed a few acquaintances.

After the signing, I was able to check out the display and was really impressed with its scope and the collection of pictures, brochures, posters and trail maps. There were pictures of the rope tow area on Vernon Street that operated from 1947 until the lift was moved to Sunday River in 1959. Pictures were also on display of the Gould Academy Jumps at their area at Swan’s, the ones we pass on Sunday River Road on the way to the mountain. Those jumps were maintained until a few years ago when the academy dropped jumping. That was inevitable as NCAA dropped the event nearly 30 years ago. It’s a wonder prep schools continued as long as they did with a sport no longer in play at the college level.

Naturally, there were many pictures and brochures from Sunday River and Mt. Abram. They also had some pictures of Paris Manufacturing factory which burned years ago. Along with a picture of the building where Paris skis were made, there were pictures of skis being made. Over the pictures on one wall, a pair of wood skis made by the Ellingwoods in West Paris were mounted. If you’re interested in the history of skiing in Western Maine, the Bethel Historical Society on Broad Street is worth a visit.

Another chance to check out some of the entire state’s ski history will be next Saturday at Sugarloaf. The third annual Maine Ski Heritage Day will feature the Ski Museum of Maine’s traveling display of pins, patches ads and documents along with some Maine made equipment such as Paris Skis and Bass Ski Boots. Later in the afternoon there will be a silent and live auction at the Sugarloaf Inn with over $10,000 in items, including ski wear, equipment, accessories, rounds of golf and more. See you there.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Westbrook.